Trudeau on Trump: ‘He Actually Does Listen’

TORONTO — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada said Thursday that he had a productive relationship with President Trump despite their broad differences, but also warned that the United States might harm only itself if it reduced trade ties with Canada. He was speaking at an event organized by The New York Times and the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. Here are highlights of the interview.

Working With Trump

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada discussed his relationship with President Trump.CreditCreditIan Willms for The New York Times

Mr. Trudeau spoke in some detail about his relationship with Mr. Trump and rejected the widespread perception that the president does not listen to opposition views, prompting laughter from some in the audience. But he argued that, at least in his experience, Mr. Trump had remained consistent.

“I have always found that whenever he has made an engagement to me or a commitment to me on the phone or in person, he followed through on that, and that is someone you can work with,” Mr. Trudeau said.

Prediction: Nafta Will Survive

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada was "far more important” than the U.S. realized.CreditCreditIan Willms for The New York Times

Mr. Trudeau, while not naming Mr. Trump, challenged the president’s protectionist trade talk by repeatedly pointing out the American jobs and other economic benefits created by the North American Free Trade Agreement. The benefits from Nafta for the United States, Mr. Trudeau said, are so significant that there is no possibility that the pact will collapse and no need for a Canadian contingency plan.

“There’s no need for a Plan B,” he said. “I can understand the politics around saying: ‘Oh we need to improve it, it’s terrible.’ The facts don’t bear that out though.”

Canada: ‘Not Some Magical Place’

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada talked about intolerance.CreditCreditIan Willms for The New York Times

Mr. Trudeau acknowledged that Canada had not been spared the anti-immigrant sentiment and violence found elsewhere in the world. But he noted that after episodes like a shooting at a mosque in the city of Quebec in January, large numbers of Canadians have denounced the violence.

“We’re not some magical place immune to the forces we’ve seen,” Mr. Trudeau said. But he suggested that intolerance was not a defining characteristic of the country. “Where Canada has always done well is recognizing that diversity is a source of strength,” the prime minister said.

He’s Not Watching Twitter at 2 a.m.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada called President Trump’s use of Twitter “a new wrinkle in international diplomacy.”CreditCreditIan Willms for The New York Times

Mr. Trudeau was an early and prominent user of social media among Canadian politicians. But he said that since becoming prime minister, he has backed away and now prefers to deal directly with Canadians at town hall-style meetings. While staff members monitor Mr. Trump’s tweets, Mr. Trudeau said they were not a critical element of policy making, nor are the president’s posts treated as a drop-everything priority.

“If I get woken up at night for something, it’d better be more important than a tweet — by anyone,” he said.

A version of this article appears in print on , Section A, Page 12 of the New York edition with the headline: Trudeau Says, So Far, Trump ‘Is Someone You Can Work With’. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe